


The Brownie Story

by astralpenguin



Category: The Maze Runner (Movies), The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Maze, Based on a Children's Story, Bedtime Stories, Crack, Don't Take This Too Seriously, Gen, Sleepovers, but that should be obvious, i don't have a good excuse for this, the kids learn to be helpful, told by newt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2018-06-22
Packaged: 2019-05-27 02:08:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15014336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astralpenguin/pseuds/astralpenguin
Summary: When it was time for bed, Minho reminded Grandpa Newt about his promise to tell them about Brownies. When he had made himself comfortable on the end of Minho’s bed, Grandpa Newt began telling them a strange, exciting, and mysterious tale.





	The Brownie Story

**Author's Note:**

> so uh, in the uk there's this after-school club for 7-10 year old girls called brownies, which is part of girlguiding, and in the brownie story one of the kids is called tommy. and i needed to do something other than stare at the mess that is the thing i'm working on rn
> 
> so yeah. enjoy?

Minho and his friend Gally were having a sleepover.

Minho’s mum was busy tidying the house for Grandpa Newt’s visit.

“Will you clear away your mess!” she exclaimed.

Minho and Gally sighed and moved some of their things around a bit before sitting back down in front of the TV.

Soon Grandpa Newt arrived and chuckled. “It looks as though you could do with a Brownie here!” she said.

Minho’s mum smiled back. “That would be wonderful!”

“What’s a Brownie, Grandpa Newt?” asked Minho.

“I’ll tell you tonight, at bedtime,” Grandpa Newt replied. “Let’s clear away this mess first, shall we?”

When it was time for bed, Minho reminded Grandpa Newt about his promise to tell them about Brownies. When he had made himself comfortable on the end of Minho’s bed, Grandpa Newt began telling them a strange, exciting, and mysterious tale.

 

_ In a pretty little cottage lived a family with two children called Teresa and Tommy, and their friend Newt also spent a lot of time there. Although they were friendly, the children were very messy and almost never cleared up after themselves. There were dishes to be washed, clothes to be put away and toys scattered all over the floor. Teresa, Tommy, and Newt did not care. They hated doing boring old housework. _

_ “What can I do?” their mother sighed. “I cannot keep the cottage tidy on my own. If only we had a Brownie!” _

_ “What’s a Brownie, mother?” asked Teresa. _

_ “A Brownie is a magical little creature, which slips into houses very early before anyone is awake. It tidies toys, folds clothes, washes dishes, and does all sorts of helpful things,” replied her mother. _

 

“So that’s what a Brownie is,” Minho interrupted. They sound really useful.”

“They can be, chuckled Grandpa Newt. “Shush now, and listen.”

 

_ “That’s great! How can we get one?” Teresa wondered. _

_ “”The Wise Owl in the wood might know, I suppose,” her mother said. _

_ Later that night, Teresa, Tommy, and Newt crept out of the cottage into the wood. It was cold and dark and full of shadows. _

_ “We cannot go back. We have to find the Wise Owl,” said Tommy firmly, even though he was scared. _

 

“My mum always tells me not to go out alone after dark, Grandpa Newt,” Gally said. “How come those three were allowed?”

“You are right,” Grandpa Newt replied. “Things were very different then. But this is only a story. Come on, let us get back to the tale in the dark wood.”

 

_ “Hoo hoo! How do you do?” a voice hooted at the children from a nearby tree. _

_ “The Wise Owl!” Newt hugged the others in relief. Soon the children were seated on a branch, snuggling close to the big bird’s warm feathers. They explained that they were trying to find a Brownie. _

_ “Do you know were we could find one?” asked Teresa. _

_ “Indeed I do,” hooted the Wise Owl, and, placing her beak close to Teresa’s ear, she explained. _

_ “Tom! Newt!” exclaimed Teresa. “There’s a Brownie in that pool over there. I’ve got to go to the pool, turn around three times, look into the water and say ‘twist me and turn me and show me the elf, I looked in the water and there saw...’” _

_ “Who? Who? Who?” hooted the Wise Owl. “Look into the water and you will find your Brownie looking back at you. Their name will finish the rhyme.” _

_ The children raced over to the pool. Teresa did exactly as the Wise Owl had said. _

_ “Twist me and turn me and show me the elf. I looked in the water and there saw...” _

_ Teresa looked into the pool. _

_ “Well, can you see it? Can you see a Brownie?” cried Tommy. _

_ “No,” said Teresa. “All I can see is my own reflection.” _

_ The children were so disappointed that by the time they reached the tree again, they were in tears. _

_ “Boo, hoo, hoo? What’s the matter with you?” hooted the Wise Owl. _

_ “We didn’t find a Brownie,” sniffed Newt. _

_ “I saw no one in the water but myself,” added Teresa. _

_ “Well, well, well,” said the Wise Owl. “Shall we see if that fits the rhyme? Twist me and turn me and show me the elf. I looked in the water and there saw...” _

_ “Myself!” finished Teresa, sounding puzzled. “But I am not a Brownie.” _

_ “Too true, too true,” hooted the Wise Owl. “But you could act like one for a change, and so could Thomas and Newt. It might even be fun!” _

_ The children had a lot to think about on the way back to the cottage. By the time they got home, they had made their decision. _

_ If you had passed the cottage very early the next morning, you might have seen a light at the window and three figures busily rushing around inside. _

_ When their mother came down for breakfast, she could barely believe her eyes! There were no toys in sight, the washing up was done and the clothes had been put away. Everything was clean and tidy. _

_ “Well, it certainly looks as though a Brownie has been here. How wonderful!” she cried. _

_ Teresa winked at the others, and grinned. _

_ Since then the cottage has been like a different place. Teresa, her brother, and Newt have been like different children. They are never bored now. They are much too busy planning their secret Good Turns! _

 

When Grandpa Newt had turned off the light, Minho and Gally whispered about the story they had heard and about the fun they could have pretending to be Brownies.

“We have been a bit lazy too, Gally,” said Minho. “”Shall we get up early tomorrow and really try to be more helpful? We can lend a hand at home, but not say why!”

Before everyone else woke up, Minho and Gally crept downstairs, tidied away all their things, and laid the table for breakfast. They each promised to be good Brownies from then on.

**Author's Note:**

> please leave a kudos or comment if you enjoyed!! i hope you got a laugh out of this lmao
> 
> the original brownie story (if you're interested) can be found [here](https://www.girlguiding.org.uk/what-we-do/brownies-7-10/im-a-brownie/the-brownie-story/)
> 
> hmu on [tumblr!!](http://astralpenguin.tumblr.com/)


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